Oil burner apparatus and the like



Oct. 29, 1935. F. J. HITCHCOCK & 1 5

oIL BURNER APPARATUS AND THE LIKE Filed March 10, 1932 2 hetssheet l i& 49 1' /7 4 JO T Y /////A w x/EqLu': 7 KAM 1935- F. J. HITCHCOCK 9 3 3 V OIL BURNER APPARATUS AND THE LIKE Patented Oct. 29, 1935 My invention relates to oil-burner-apparatus In the case of its position in the apparatus. This old method reservoir was objectionable of refilling the bottle oil burn mestic use the reservoir re smres &trash orrrce OIL BURNER APPARATUS AND THE LIKE Frederck J. Hitclcock, Davers, Mass. Application March 10, 1932, Serial No. 597,971

for several obvious reasons.

My invention has for its main object to make possible to Conveniently and quickly refill the reservoirwithout removal thereof from In the accompanying d Figure 1 is a diagramma major portion of an oil b bodying one form of my i Figure 2 is a front ele valve hereinafter referred Fgure 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Fi. 2 showrawings:

nvention.

vation of the six-way tic View showing the urner apparatus em- 6' Clams. (CI. 158-40) ing the adjustable valve member, hereinafter referred to, in its normal position.

Figure 4 is a sectional detail showing the adjustable valve member in "fill" position.

My invention is herein illustrated as embodied in an oil burner apparatus for domestic use.

A supply of fuel oil verted glass bottle n which usually has a capacity of about two gallons. Oil is delivered automatically and intermittently from this supply bottle i@ into a trap H having an outlet at its bottom that is connected by a pipe I 2 with the burner of the apparatus. The oil is delivered by grav'ty from bottle w into the trap H and flows by gravity from the trap H to the burner.

Heretofore when the supply of fuel oil within the bottle w became exhausted it was necessary to remove the bottle Ifl, place it in an upright and mode My improved vave fixture or pedof a

of reduced diameter upon which is mounted a Washer 23, an adjustable nut 24 and a coiled spring 25. The Washer 23 is in abutting engagement with the body S 5 and the spring 25 is disposed between said Washer and the nut 2 3 under compression so as to yieldingly urge the valve is contained within an inmember [3 endwise against its seat within the valve chamber' 18.

Stops 23 and 21 provided upon the front of body 15 limit the angular movement of arm z and valve member !9 to ninety degrees.

Normally the arm 2! of the valve member is against the stop 26. The plug portion of the valve member is made with a straight transverse port 28 while body !5 is constructed with an inlet port 29 whose inner end is in register with one end of the transverse port 28 when arm 2! is against stop 23, and with an outlet port 30 whose inner end is in register with the opposite end of port 28 when arm 21 is against the stop 26.

At its lower end the port 30 communicates with a transverse slot 3| formed across the end of a nose or nozzle 32 provided at the lower end of the body !5. This nozzle 32 occupies a position within the trap l I, and it will be clear that when the level of the oil that is within the trap ll falls below the lower end of the port 30 air will pass upwardly through ports 33, 28 and 29 into the bottle ill thus permitting fuel oil to descend by gravity through the ports 29, 28 and 30 into trap H. When the level of the oil within trap Il reaches the lower end of the port 30 the flow of oil from the bottle IO into trap i I will be stopped. In this way the apparatus functions as usual to maintain a predetermined supply of oil within the trap ll which is free to flow by gravity through the pipe |2 to the burner.

Alongside of the port 28 the adjustable valve member !9 is made with another straight trans- Verse port 33 to co-operate with an inlet port 34 and an outlet port 35 formed in the valve body |5. The inlet port 34 is connected by a pipe 33 with the lower part of an auxiliary storage tank 31 whose capacity is about equivalent to the capacity of the bottle !3. That is, if the bottle !0 has a capacity of two gallons, then the auxiliary storage vessel or tank 31 will have approximately the same capacity.

The auxiliary storage tank 31 is connected by a pipe 38 with the lower portion of the main storage tank |3 which usually has a capacity of about gallons, and in this pipe 38 is arranged a check valve 39 which opens toward the auxiliary storage tank 31 and closes toward the main storage tank l3.

Communicating at its lower end with the top of the auxiliary storage tank 31 is a riser 43 that is connected by a pipe 41 with an outlet port 42 formed in valve'body !5. The inner end of this outlet port 42 co-operates with one end of the transverse port 33 of the adjustable valve member 19 while the opposite end of the latter port co-operates with the inner end of an air outlet port 43. When the adjustable valve member l9 occupies its normal position as shown in the drawings, the ports 42 and 43 are connected by the port 33 of the adjustable valve member so as to pro-vide an air vent for the top of the auxiliary storage tank 31 through which air is free to pass from said auxiliary storage tank as the level of the oil within the latter, and within the riser 40 rises. These ports 43, 33 and 42 together with the pipe 41 thus provide a vent for the relief of compressed air as will presently be made plain.

The adjustable valve member !9 is also made with a port 44, one end of which communicates with the outside atmosphere and the inner end of which co-operates with the lower end of a port 45 within the upper end of which is fixed the lower end of a straight vertical pipe section `manually into the pipe 4l 43 whose upper end is close to the upper end of the bottle o and above the level of the fuel oil contained therein. Normally the inner end of the port 44 is out of register with the lower end of the port 45.

When, however, the adjustable valve member ie is turned so as to throw the pointer arm 2! over against the stop 21, Fig. 2, the ports 33 and 44 then occupy the position shown in Fig. 4 so that the ports 34 and 35 are connected by the port 33, while the lower end of the port 45 communicates with the outside atmosphere through the port 44. It is to be noted that this adjustment of the valve member 19 simultaneously shuts ofi communication between the ports 29 and 33 so that the conduit through which oil is delivered from bottle !0 into trap Il is closed.

After the valve !9 has been adjusted as just described air under pressure is admitted to the pipe 4! whose port 42 is now closed by the valve member !9. Therefore the air under pressure that is supplied to the pipe 4! will operate to exhaust the oil from the auxiliary storage tank 31 and since said oil cannot pass backwardly through the pipe 38 because of the check valve 39, it will pass upwardly through the pipe 36, ports 34, 33 and 35 into the bottle |0 and as this oil enters the bottle !0, the air within the bottle will be displaced downwardly through the pipe 43, ports 45 and 44 into the atmosphere. Because of the fact that the auxiliary storage tank 31 is of about the same capacity as the bottle n the latter cannot be overloaded through carelessness or poor judgment.

As means for conveniently supplying air under pressure to the pipe 4! as described, I may provide an ordinary manually operated air pump 41 equipped with a rubber delivery tube 48 adapted to be separably coupled to a check valve 49 permanently mounted within one of the branches of a tee 53 that forms part of the pipe or conduit 4l.

Thus, after adjusting the valve member 19 so that its pointer arm 2I is against the stop 21 the air pump 41 is operated and air is pumped and operates to discharge the contents of the auxiliary storage tank 31 into the pipe 36 as described.

After the bottle o has been re-filled as just described the valve member 19 is turned back to its normal position again where its pointer arm 2! is against the stop 26 and the normal operation of the apparatus is resumed.

It is an important feature of the apparatus constructed and Operating as above described that it includes a main storage tank l3 of very great capacity as compared with the bottle !0 and auxiliary storage tank 31 and that the capacity of the auxiliary storage tank 31 is preferably not substantially greater than the capacity of the bottle, but is markedly less than the capacity of the main storage tank !3. As a result of these conditions or peculiarities it is possible to Carry out the bottle re-flling operation very quickly and with a minimum amount of labor because it will be appreciated that much greater labor and time would be required to increase the air pressuro within the main storage tank l3 suffciently to raise the oil up to the bottle ID than is required to discharge the contents of the relatively small auxiliary storage tank 31. Furthermore, it is customary, and sometimes required that a normally opened vent 5! be provided at the top of the main storage tank this vent 5! closed the time and labor required to raise the air pressure within the main storage 13 but even with tank !3 suiciently to lift the oil '-1p to the'bottle s would make desirable, particularly When the level of the oil within the main storage tank !3 was low.

As illustrated in the drawings I may provide the upper end of the port 35, Figs. 1 and 3 with a pipe extension 52 extending upwardly within and to near the upper end of, the bottle o.

As shown in Fig. 3 the upper end of. the valve body 15 is formed with an interiorly threaded socket into which is screwed the exteriorly threaded neck of the bottle Io, an annulus 53 of cork or other suitable material being interposed between the neck of the bottle and a seat at the bottom of the threaded socket which closes and seals the oint between the bottle neck and the as usual in position upon the post IE.

The above described apparatus is of very simple and inexpensive Construction which provides for quickly and conveniently re-filling the supply reservoir ID without requiring the oil or other liquid to be manually transported from the main storage tank to the reservoir n. Also with my improvements t is reservoir ID.

Normally the pointer arm 2| is against the stop 26 but when it is desired to refill reservoir n, this arm is thrown over against the stop 21 and then the pump 41 is operated until reservoir ID has been re-filled. Then the pointer arm 2! is thrown back into position against the stop 26 which restores the apparatus so that it automatically operates to deliver liquid into the pipe line !2 as it is withdrawn from the latter.

When my invention is incorporated in an oil burner apparatus the manual transportation of oil is obviated as is also the spilling of oil on to the floor' either in the cellar or in the kitchen where the reservoir o is located.

The trap vessel H is, as heretofore fastened by means of a clamp, not shown, to the post IS and the latter is als provided adjacent its up-,

valve body !5 rests upon, and is supported by, the floor of the trap vessel ll while the weight of the bottle reservoir I 0 is supported by the valve body, the clamping arms 54 serving to hold the bottle in upright position.

The section of tube 52 that is within the bottle auxilliary tank and riser 40, while pipe section' a vent conduit interior of the 46 and ports 45 and 44 provide for the upper end portion of the bottle G It will also be clear that the ports 29, 28 and 30 provide an outlet conduit at the bottom of the bottle reservoir l0.

What I claim is:

1. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, a vacuum reservoir for holding a supply of liquid, said reservoir having a northat method impractical and ununnecessary to remove the.

i plenished; means operable mally open delivery 'outlet at itsbottom; a trap vessel into which said delivery outlet discharges whose contents serves to close the lower end of said delivery outlet to the entrance of air; a. storage tank disposed at a lower level than said reservoir; a normally closed delivery conduit connecting said storage tank with said vacuum reservoir through which the contents of the latter is replenished; valve means controlling the delivery outlet of said vacuum reservoir and 'said delivery conduit, said valve means being operable to' close the delivery outlet of the vacuum reservoir and to open the delivery conduit when the contents of, said vacuum reservoir is to be replenished; means operable to force the contents of said storage tank upwardly through said delivery conduit and into said vacuum reservoir after said delivery outlet has been closed and said opened, and a normally closed air vent for said vacuum reservoir that is effective as an outlet for the air within said vacuum reservoir that is displaced when the supply of liquid within the latter is replenished through said supply conduit.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, a vacuum reservoir for' holding a vessel into which said delivery outlet discharges and whose contents serves to close the lower end of said delivery outlet to the entrance of air; a storage vessel disposed at a lower level than said reservoir; a normally closed delivery conduit connecting said storage vessel with said vacuum reservoir through which the contents of the latter is replenished; valve means controlling the delivery outlet of said vacuum reservoir and said delivery conduit, said valve means being operable to close the delivery outlet of the vacuum reservoir and to open the delivery conduit when the contents of said vacuum reservoir is to be reto force the contents of said storage vessel upwardly through said delivery conduit and into said vacuum reservoir after said delivery outlet has been closed and said delivery conduit has been openedby said valve means; a normally closed air vent for said vacuum reservoir that is effective as an outlet for the air within said vacuum reservoir that is displaced when the supply of liquid-within the latter is replenished through said delivery conduit, and means for automatically replenishing the contents of said storage vessel after'each reservoirrefilling operation of the apparatus.

3. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, a vacuum reservoir for holding ,a supply of liquid, said reservoir having a normally open delivery outlet at its bottom; a trap vessel into which said delivery outlet djscharges and whose contents serves to close the lower end of said delivery outlet to the .entrance of air; a relatively small auxiliary storage vessel disposed than said reservoir; a relatively valve means controlling the delivery outlet of said vacuum reservoir and said delivery conduit, said valve means being operable to close the delivery outlet of the vacuum reservoir and to open the delivery conduit when the contents of said vacuum reservoir is to be replenished; means operable to force the contents of said auxiliary storage vessel upwardly through said delivery conduit and into said vacuum reservoir after said delivery outlet has been closed and said delivery conduit has been opened by said valve means, and a normally closed air vent for said vacuum reservoir that is effective as an outlet for the air within said vacuum reservoir that is displaced when the supply of liquid within the latter is replenished through said supply conduit.

4. In an apparatus of the character described the combination of an inverted vacuum bottle for holding a supply of liquid, said bottle having a normally open outlet at its bottom; a trap vessel for holding a body of liquid that is delivered by gravity into said vessel from said bottle through said outlet and. which serves to normally close said outlet to the escape of liquid and to the entrance of air; a. main storage vessel of relatively large Capacity disposed below the level of said bottle; an auxiliary storage vessel of relatively small capacity disposed below the level of said main storage vessel; a conduit connecting said two storage vessels through which liquid flows by gravity from the larger' storage vessel to the smaller storage vessel; a check valve in said conduit which closes toward said larger main storage vessel; a normally' open air vent conduit extendingupwardly from the upper portion of the ini terior of said smaller storage vessel; a. normally closed delivery conduit having its upper end communicating with said bottle and its lower end communicating with said auxiliary storage vessel adjacent to the bottom thereof valve means that is adjustable to close the outlet of said bottle, to close said normally open air vent conduit, to open said delivery cond 't, and to vent the upper portion of the interior of said bottle while the latter is being refilled, and means for sup-plying air under pressure to said auxiliary storage vessel after such adjustment of said valve means thereby to force the contents of the said auxiliary.

storage vessel upwardly through said delivery conduit and into said bottle.

5. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, a vacuum reservoir for holding a supply of liquid, said reservoir having a normally open delivery outlet at its bottcm; a trap vessel into which said delivery outlet discharges and whose contents serves to close the lower end of 'said delivery outlet to the entrance of air, a normally closed air vent conduit communicating at its one end with the upper portion of the interior of said vacuum reservoir and communicating at its opposite end with the outside atmosphere; a storage vessel disposed at a lower level than said reservoir; a normally closed delivery conduit having its lower end connected with said storage vessel and communcating at its upper end with the interior of said reservoir; an ad- 1 justable valve controlling said reservoir outlet. said air vent and said delivery conduit, and means for forcing the contents of said storage vessel upwardly through said delivery conduit and into said reservoir when said valve is adjusted 15 to open said. air vent and delivery conduits ani to close said reservoir outlet.

6. In an ap-paratus of the character described the combination of an inverted vacuum reservoir for holding a supply of liquid, said reservoir having a normally open outlet at its bottom; a trap vessel for holding a body of liquid that is delived by gravity into said vessel from said reservoir through said outlet and which serves to normally close said outlet to the escape of liquid and 2 to the entrance of air; a main storage vessel of relatively large capacity disposed below the level of said reservoir; an auxiliary storage vessel of relatively small capacity disposed below the level of said main storage vessel; a conduit connecting said two storage vessels through which liquid fiows by gravity from the larger storage vessel to the smaller storage vessel; a check valve in said conduit which closes toward said larger main storage vessel; a normally open air vent conduit extending upwardly from the upper portion of the interior of said smaller storage vessel, a normally closed delivery conduit having its upper end communicating with said reservoir and its lower end communicating with said auxiliary storage vessel ad' acent to the bottom thereof valve means that is adjustable to close the outlet 01' said reservoir and to open said delivery conduit when said vacuum reservoir is to be refilled; means for sup- 'plying air under pressure to said vent conduit after adjustment of said valve means so that said air under pressure is delivery into said auxiliary storage vessel to force the contents of the latter upwardly through said delivery conduit into said 50 reservoir, and means to provide for the exhaust of air from said reservoir but only while the latter is being refilled through said delivery conduit.

FREDERICK J. mTCI-ICOCK. 55 

